Assessment of lifting seat devices during a sit-to-stand transfer task - A pilot study

Sit-to-stand is a functional task of daily living that is more demanding on the musculoskeletal system than mostother functional tasks, such as walking. Older individuals or individuals with lower extremity impairments thathave difficulties rising from a chair may experience decreased mobility, independence, and physical activity.Lifting seat devices are designed to permit individuals to rise from a seated position with reduced effort. This,in turn, may allow individuals to increase their independence for these transfers; promoting increased overallhealth and quality of life. Whether these devices actually decrease joint forces and musculature requirementsduring a sit-to-stand transfer has however not been established. The purpose of this pilot study is to comparethe effects of two different types of lifting seat devices developed by Uplift Technologies Inc. on sit-to-standmechanics and muscle effort. Both products have been on the market for over 9 years and while subjectivesupport has been gathered for their use, the objective outcomes related to the mechanism of how the deviceswork have not been established. Objective outcome measures will benefit Uplift Technologies Inc in twoways; 1) provide objective evidence for consumers and health care professionals who prescribe the device and2) provide objectives measures that can be used to assess future modifications of their products or developnew products. This pilot study sample will consist of ten healthy younger adults between the ages of 20-30years and ten healthy older adults over the age of 65 years. All participants must not have any musculoskeletal,cardiovascular, or neurological conditions that limit their ability to rise from a chair. This investigation will usestate of the art monitoring of lower extremity muscle activation and strength, motion, and forces to understandthe influence of lifting seat devices on sit-to-stand movements in healthy older and younger adults. The studywill be conducted in the Dynamics of Human Motion Laboratory at Dalhousie University. The outcomes will1) provide information on the effects of lifting seat devices on the sit-to-stand transfer task in healthy adults, 2)provide baseline healthy comparative data for studies of the device involving individuals with joint or muscle